


To Kill a King

by Pongo0614



Series: Changes [9]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-21
Updated: 2018-11-20
Packaged: 2019-08-11 03:15:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16467599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pongo0614/pseuds/Pongo0614
Summary: After many years of peace, tensions finally come to show and Lot wants war. Morgana's demons come to light and Merlin is scared that he is going to lose her. What did Morgause do all those years ago? Story 9 of Changes





	1. Everything Is Okay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the penultimate story in this series. I hope that you enjoy it like you have the others.  
> Good news and bad news.  
> I have a job. It will mean that I won't have as much time to work on this and my new story but I am going to try and make it work. As long as I stay organised, I am certain it will work. I am trying to upload this every day but we will see how it goes.  
> Please enjoy

**Everything Is Okay**

Merlin stood on the battlements and watched the sunrise. It was the first time he had really had five minutes to himself for a long time. It always gave him some comfort to see the day start. He always found it magical how the sun rose and banished the darkness of night away. He looked down to see the servants running around, getting everything ready for the day ahead.

It was Lynette's 16th name day.

He sighed. They had tried to keep everything as normal as they could but recently they noticed more scouts on the borders and even some inside it. Arthur keeps telling him not to worry but Merlin couldn't help it.

The druids are still disappearing and it has been too quiet in Esstir. Usually, they would kick up a fuss when some new law was in place but they hadn't heard anything from Lot. It put Merlin on edge.

He looked at the sun on more time before leaving the battlements. It was time for his day to start.

* * *

"So where would you put your men?" Leon said.

Gorlois studied the map carefully. "There." He said, pointing to the gap between the rocks. "But I would put archers up on the cliffs beforehand. Use arrows to rain down on them first before sending them in."

"You're sentencing them to their death," Gareth argued. "I would send them over the cliff."

Gorlois looked up at his cousin. "If you look, the only way they could come through that way would be to go between the cliffs." He lent his elbows on the map. "We would only have access to the cliffs. Put archers up there to try and kill some of them. Once they are in there they will have no other choice but to go backwards because of the way they can go."

Gareth sighed before leaning into the map. "Suppose you are right." He agreed.

Gorlois looked up at Leon. "Is that what you would do?"

Leon nodded. "I would have suspected that you would have used magic as well."

Gorlois smiled. "Of course. How else am I going to make it rain more arrows than we will have?"

Leon was impressed by how far both of them had come. Gareth was going to be king one day and needed to know how to command an army but Gorlois had always had an eye for detail and sometimes saw things that Leon never did. The ideas that they came up with were good as well. Some of them Leon had actually noted for future reference.

"We should probably get to the training field. Amhar will soon be joining the ranks and we need to make sure that he is prepared."

Leon waited for them both to leave before he sighed. They were too young to get wrapped up into a war like this. He knew that Arthur wasn't much older when they rode for Camlann but he was the king. He had to go. Leon could just tell that there was something different about the potential war this time around. He didn't need to be a seer or have magic to know that.

* * *

"Did you ever get this many hairbrushes? I swear they are trying to tell me something." Lynette said.

Clarine couldn't help but laugh. "It probably seems the only acceptable thing other than jewellery."

Lynette joined in with her.

"Seems like you two are having fun," Gwen said as she and Morgana entered the room.

"Lynette was just wondering if someone was trying to tell her something by giving her so many hairbrushes," Clarine said, sitting up straighter.

Morgana enclosed her eldest daughter in a hug. "Don't worry I still get inundated with them." She said. "Happy name day, darling."

"Thank you, Mother."

"What's the plan for today then?" Clarine asked.

"It's mostly making sure everything is ready for tonight. There is very little to do." Gwen said.

"Amhar is training today before his big test tomorrow. It might be worth going down to see how he is doing." Lynette said.

Morgana smiled. "I wouldn't worry. He is as agile as Arthur was at that age. I should know."

"Of course. That was when you beat him." Gwen remembered.

Morgana put her finger to her lips. "Shhh Gwen, that was meant to be a secret."

The older woman started to laugh.

"Really? You beat father." Clarine said.

"One of my finest moments," Morgana said.

"Well, I would like to get out of the castle. Seeing the boys train wouldn't be so bad." Lynette said.

Gwen moved to leave with her daughter and niece when she realised Morgana hadn't moved.

"I'll catch you up," Morgana said, reading the queen's thoughts.

Gwen nodded to her before leaving.

Morgana let her smile drop. She closed her eyes and sighed. It was becoming harder and harder to stop the thoughts. They had returned to how she could kill Gwen, Arthur and Merlin. She wished they would stop. She sat down at the table and looked into the mirror. She started to panic when she saw her eyes were black. But as soon as she blinked, they were back to normal.

Morgana had never really worried what Morgause had done to her while she was weak due to the poison. Maybe she was going to find out.

* * *

Amhar slid back as he pushed off Gorlois' guard. Many people had told him that he was as good as his father was at his age. It gave him great pride to think that he was following in his father's footsteps. Maybe not directly as he wouldn't be king, but being the best knight in the realm he could deal with. He still had a lot to learn. He knew that. But Amhar knew he was well on his way of making his father proud of him.

Not that he already was. Arthur had continually shown how proud he was of Amhar, his siblings and his cousins. Amhar loved how close they were as a family.

With a flick of his wrist, Amhar managed to disarm Gorlois and pointed his sword towards his throat. Gorlois went to move forward but stopped as the sword hovered above his Adam's apple.

"You still need to improve." Gorlois joked.

Amhar lowered his sword and embraced his older cousin.

"Don't worry, you will do fine tomorrow. Your father isn't as nimble as he once was."

"I heard that," Arthur shouted from the other side of the field.

Gorlois and Amhar looked at where Arthur's voice came from. Amhar had always enjoyed the friendship that his father and uncle had. He had always hoped to find someone like that. He didn't want someone who would follow him or expect him to follow them. Amhar wanted a friend that would walk by his side as an equal.

"Come on. We better get cleaned up." Gorlois said.

"Isobel Freya! Maldue Owian! What do you think you are doing?!" They heard Morgana shout.

"I don't want to know what they have done and I don't want to be here," Gorlois said, rushing his cousin off the field.

* * *

Arthur watched Amhar movements.

He knew what everyone meant now. Wielding a sword to Amhar was like Gorlois using magic. Natural. It scared Arthur slightly as well.

He could easily remember the first time he killed a man. It haunted him for years. Arthur had always tried to be a better father than Uther was. But he grew up when Camelot faced danger from all around. Amhar at least has lived in peace.

"He will be fine."

Arthur jumped at his advisor's voice. "Goddess, Merlin. Do you have to sneak up on me like that?"

Merlin smiled. "Suppose I am still in servant stealth mode."

Arthur started to pretend laugh. "You are so funny, Merlin."

They watched as Amhar disarmed Gorlois.

"Don't say it," Arthur said.

"We need to get prepared. I don't like it."

The king sighed. "It could be a good sign."

"When has silence ever been a good sign?" Merlin said.

"Don't worry, you will do fine tomorrow. Your father isn't as nimble as he once was." Arthur heard Gorlois say.

"I heard that," He shouted at them.

Arthur looked at his best friend. "I want it to be a good sign. I need it to be a good sign." He had never seen Merlin looking as old as he did at that moment. "You aren't sleeping again, are you?"

Merlin sighed. "I just feel on edge constantly. I can't help it. My magic is constantly reacting with everything. It just won't rest."

"It will get better."

"Will it?" Merlin said, looking at him.

Arthur had always thought that Merlin was the stronger one of them both. He had gone through so much on his own. But Arthur could see how vulnerable he was. "It will. Trust me."

"With my life," Merlin whispered.

Arthur placed his hand on Merlin's shoulder.

"Isobel Freya! Maldue Owian! What do you think you are doing?!" Morgana shouted.

Merlin groaned. "What have they done now?"

* * *

"Come on Maldue."

 _"_ _I am coming."_ He said, telepathically.

Maldue watched as his sister dodged around the people and stalls as they through the marketplace, hoping that he was doing as good as job as her at missing them. They hoped to get back to the castle before anyone had noticed that they were missing.

 _"_   _I am blaming you for this."_

"Well unless you are going to speak then …" Isobel said, trailing off.

_"_ _That isn't fair. You know I want to speak."_

"It isn't that hard." Isobel said, slowing down so her twin could catch up with her.

 _"_ _I know it isn't but I just can't."_

Maldue wasn't lying. Ever since his sister started to speak, he wished to join her. Just something was always stopping him from making a noise. As twins, they had to do spells together and they had the same dreams. But Maldue could always remember why he woke in a cold sweat while his sister would scream out but by the time their parents had got her, she had forgotten. Maldue didn't want to burden his sister with them. He had seen how his mother was after a dream. But he knew what was coming. The Black Witch would return. But he couldn't warn anyone.

"Come on." Isobel said. "No one will be on the training field that this time."

Maldue followed his sister round the corner.

"Isobel Freya! Maldue Owian! What do you think you are doing?!" Morgana shouted when she saw them.

The twins turned together. They were both covered head to toe in mud.

"Where have you been?" Morgana said, hands on her hips.

"We went for a walk. It was Maldue's idea." Isobel said.

Maldue shook his head and pointed to Isobel.

Morgana let out a shaky sigh. "You know you shouldn't leave the grounds." She said trying to remain calm.

The twins both bowed their head.

"We are sorry mother." Isobel said, on both their behalves. "We felt the druid camp and wanted to see them."

"You are 13. You both need to be more responsible." Morgana said. "Go on. Go and get washed up and changed."

Maldue looked up at his mother and smiled.

"But it doesn't mean you are off the hook. Once you are changed, you are to go to Gaius and Gilli and help them."

Maldue's smile widen slightly. It wasn't a punishment in his eyes. He loved being in the physicain's chambers.

"Really?" Isobel whined.

"Really." Morgana said. "And you better be ready on time for the feast tonight."

The twins stood there for a little longer.

"Well, you haven't got all day."

Maldue grabbed his sister's hand and pulled her along before she could say anything.


	2. Everything Is Not Okay

**Everything Is Not Okay**

Lot studied the map one last time before rolling it up and placing it back in the closest. It had taken him and the Sarrum eight years to perfect their plan. There were many things that they needed to find out before they knew what they had to do. The biggest one being what Morgause had done to Morgana. But she gave that up easily enough when they had told her that she wished to get Morgana on the 'right' side. They didn't want her on their side, they just wanted a way to destroy the other side. He had found a way in which he believes that he can exploit it.

Lot left his study and headed towards the dungeons.

The prisoners they had would start off the process but he knew who he wanted to get. If he had the oldest Wyllt in his clutches, it would be mayhem for Camelot. There was also the little problem that they had no idea what Camelot was doing. Every scout they had sent out had come back dead. Sometimes the dead can spill secrets but unfortunately, their scouts wouldn't come back alive to tell them what they had found out. They needed someone that was trusted to be inside Camelot's walls. But the more men that Lot sent over the border, meant fewer men he had for the final battle. He had fewer men than Camelot as soon as the druids started to join the battle.

There was also the fact that it was four kingdoms against one. Any of the other kingdoms would happily offer Camelot as many men as they needed.

Essetir didn't have many allies due to their stance on magic. Magic was technically legal in Essetir but it was looked down upon. The same old traditions carried on. Children were being abandoned every day due to the 'gift'. Lot didn't see how something so evil could be a gift. It didn't help anyone at all. He could remember when Merlin used his magic on him and caused him to agree with the goddamn treaty of peace. He was a man that lived for war. He fed off the fear and destruction it brought.

Lot jogged down the stairs as he reached the dungeon and went as far underground as the castle would allow him. He smiled when he saw Tor and Kanelinques standing by the entrance.

"Don't look so worried my friends." Lot said. "This is a momentous day. How many people can say that they have had these as guests?"

"Uther Pendragon can," Tor replied.

"Well he was always a show off wasn't he?"

Lot smirked. "Is everything in place?"

He nodded.

"It's time to start a war boys. I hope you have the stomach for it."

Tor and Kanelinques followed Lot through the exit. They all ducked as a fireball was sent their way.

"Tut, tut, tut, that is no way to treat your hosts." Lot said sarcastically. "I am sure your father taught you better."

The white dragon placed her wings around the smaller green dragon and growled at them. "Our father will find you. And you will realise why they call him the greatest sorcerer to ever live."

"Oh, I am scared."

"You should be."

* * *

The hall was filled with endless chatter and laughter. Everyone was celebrating Lynette's 16th Birthday and they all knew that it was going to be a long night. But that didn't matter as long as the ale and wine kept flowing. Lynette was sitting at the high table, chatting to Amhar causally when she was given the last gift of the night. She turned and thanked the servant that brought it. She squealed with delight as she lifted the lid.

"Oh father, thank you. It is wonderful."

Merlin turned from the king to see Lynette holding up a necklace. His eyes flicked to Morgana before moving back to Lynette.

"Do you mind if I take a quick look at it?"

Lynette creased her brow but did pass it down the line to him. Merlin felt the scales attached to the necklace gently. There was no doubt they were a scale from both Aithusa and Custos. He looked up at Morgana as she took it from his hands.

"It is beautiful." She commented.

Merlin dropped his voice to a whisper. "I didn't get it for her."

"What? How did someone else get a scale from Aithusa and Custos?"

"You aren't suggesting that someone has them. You will need to have a word with Kilgharrah."

"I think I will be having more than just a word with him. If they have gone missing, I deserved to know. I don't like this."

Gorlois placed the box in front of him. "This is what it came in." He whispered, joining in on the conversation. "Maybe it will tell you who sent it."

Merlin waited for Gorlois to go before he turned to Morgana. 

"Don't panic." 

"I am not."

"You are going to have to tell me what is going on soon."

"I have told you. Nothing is going on."

 

Merlin stood up and picked up the box. "I know. But every time you say that nothing is going on, you say it with less conviction. I could say that I am your husband but we know better than that. You are my equal. Share with me, Morgana. Don't take me for some fool. Something is going on and it might be important. I don't care if you don't know exactly what is going on but don't keep things from me. We all know how that worked out last time."

"What do you mean by that?"

"How about we work on not making the same mistakes twice? We said that we would be honest with each other. This close to a war? Is this really the right time to be keeping things from each other again?"

"You sound paranoid Merlin."

"Maybe I am. Maybe I am scared to lose my wife again."

* * *

He knew that he should be in the hall with his family but something about it unsettled him. The box was in front of him and Merlin couldn't help but worry about what else was in there. He ran his hands down his face and scratched his stubble before opening the box. At a quick glance, it looked as though there was nothing else in there but as Merlin looked harder he noticed the note stuck to the lid, out of sight.

He sighed. It scared him what it could say. He unfolded it and read it. 

He knew Arthur was wrong to be so calm about everything. Because everything was not okay. It was as far as okay as you could get.

Merlin read over the note again and again but nothing seemed to make it better.

_You should have looked after your dragons better._


	3. They Won't Come

**They Won't Come**

Merlin paced the length of the clearing as he waited. If he felt on edge before, he was definitely now. He was not happy about it and it meant that they were in even more danger than he originally thought. Someone had his dragons. Merlin wouldn't be so worried but he knew the destruction that they could cause. He had witnessed it when he released Kilgharrah.

 _Speaking of the giant lizard._ Merlin thought as the dragon landed in front of him.

"You called?" Kilgharrah looked around. "Good you are on our own this time."

"She is my wife. Why can't you accept that? Even after all these years."

"I will give you the same warning I gave you the last time. The Black Witch and the Druid will return."

"And I have told you that if you mean Morgana and Mordred, they have moved onto another path."

"You called?" The dragon repeated.

Merlin scratched the back of his neck before speaking. "Lynette got a … a present yesterday that she thought was from me but it wasn't and I cannot help but worry. I came with a note for me."

"What was the note?"

"'You should have looked after your dragons better.'" Merlin said, his throat going dry.

"Ah."

The warlock looked up at the dragon. "All you have to say is ah."

"Maybe I should have mentioned something."

"You better tell me what you have kept from me Kilgharrah. Right now." Merlin couldn't stop his voice from rising.

"I am not one of your children Merlin. You cannot tell me what to do."

"You will find that I am your Dragonlord and you are meant to obey me. I rarely use the power that my father gave me but I can."

The dragon sat back slightly. "I haven't seen Aithusa and Custos for about a month."

Merlin dragged a hand down his face.

"I believed that they were out hunting. Aithusa wished that Custos would learn to hunt properly. Was I meant to stop her?"

He shook his head.

"Well, there wasn't going to be any stopping her. I blame the witch. Aithusa has lacked on to her stubbornness."

"She is not a witch, she is a high priestess. Why wasn't I told earlier?"

"I thought that they might come back," Kilgharrah said, trying to find a way out of this one.

"What am I going to do?" Merlin whispered to himself.

"It might also not be a good time to mention but I did lose contact with them nearly two weeks ago."

Merlin looked back up at the dragon. "That is when you should have told me." He started pacing again. "How are you going to fix this?" He asked.

"Me? Why should I fix it?" The dragon exclaimed.

"You are Aithusa's guardian which also means that you should make sure Custos is looked after as well. I know I allowed Aithusa to guide him but you need to guide her as well. It was your responsibility to tell me that they had gone missing. But don't worry, I will just fix another mess of yours."

Merlin turned and stormed from the clearing, ignoring Kilgharrah's shouts for him.

* * *

"Merlin, there you are. I haven't seen you all day." Morgana said as she walked up to him.

"Sorry been busy," Merlin said.

Realistically he was avoiding Morgana because he knew that he wouldn't be able to keep a secret that Aithusa and Custos were missing. But he knew what it would do to her. He was just about keeping his family together and trying to start as fewer arguments that he could. It seemed it was all they could do these days. Their relationship had just seemed to go downhill in the worst way possible and he didn't know whether it was just because of the times that they were living in or something deeper. He hadn't fully forgiven her for what had happened with the Lord from Essitir, even if he knew that that was the Lord's sole purpose of being there.

"Are you okay?"

He smiled at her. "I am fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

Morgana eyed him suspiciously. "Because this is the second day in the row that I have woken up to your side of the bed being cold. Please, Merlin, I am your wife. Your problems are meant to be my problems."

"And you know I have always held you at a higher regard than the customs of the nobility."

"Merlin, for once, can we have a conversation that doesn't end in us arguing?"

"Then talk to me, Morgana. I want to talk to you but I really don't know how you will react. You are becoming a stranger again. I don't want to have to fall in love with you all over again for the third time."

There was a moment when he knew that he had read her expression. He knew what she was thinking at that moment and for that moment, he could believe that whatever spell she was under had been broken. 

"Not here." She whispered.

* * *

"If you are expecting me to know what is exactly wrong, then I can't tell you. I just don't know the lengths that Morgause had to go to save me from the hemlock. I am worried that everything that I did after my time with her was due to what she had to do to save me. Because you knew what I was like beforehand. The blood I have on my hands shouldn't be there. I shouldn't have given an order to kill innocent people. Annis was right all those years ago when she said that I was more like Uther than I realised but what if that was all due to what lengths Morgause had to go to."

Merlin nodded. "I had never thought about that before. I just thought that she had poisoned you against us. Used the poisoning to show that you had no friend in Camelot."

"She did. But what if there was more to it. I could never hate Arthur or Gwen. You... It was different with you. I obviously don't know how much Morgause told Cenred and I don't know how much he told anyone else. What if Lot knows? What if Lot has been doing all these things to try and see what she had done? What if he is trying to make me what I once was? I don't want to be that again Merlin." She dropped her voice to a whisper. "I don't want to be the Black Witch again."

He sighed before he walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. For some reason, he had expected a fight but she just allowed him to give her the comfort that he wanted to. He hadn't really thought about the effects of the hemlock and if he was honest with himself, Morgana was probably, more or less, dead when Morgause took her out of his arms.

"I believe Lot has Aithusa and Custos."

He didn't look down at her but he felt her move.

"What?!"

"Kilgharrah has just confirmed that he hasn't seen them for a month and lost contact with them two weeks ago."

"But they are dragons. They wouldn't be captured so easily."

"But Custos is still young. If he was captured, Aithusa would go back to try and get him. And they are our dragons."

"Why would someone want them?"

Merlin gave his wife a worried look. Usually, she was sharp and asked all the right questions but the news had shocked her and she wasn't making any sense.

"You never saw what Kilgharrah did to Camelot. They can be very destructive but also they are an asset that Camelot has that they don't. They are our strength."

"But they are only young."

"I know." He said, placing a kiss into her hair. "I will do everything in my power to try and find them. Whoever has them will regret it. Don't you worry about that."

* * *

There were very few people that Merlin wanted to take on this trip but he was glad that Arthur could allow him Gwaine. It had been a long time since he had been out with the knight. He watched as the other squires rushed around getting their horses ready. He didn't know why they were rushing. Gwaine would be late as he always was. 20 minutes after the squires had finished and were ready to go, Gwaine walked out the castle and started to jog down the stairs.

"Come on," Merlin shouted to him.

"Sorry someone didn't wake me." Gwaine retaliated.

"Sorry I am not a servant any more and haven't been for about 20 years."

He shook his head as Gwaine jumped on his waiting horse.

"Have you got everything?" Merlin asked.

"Well if you packed then I should do." The knight replied smiling.

"Some things never change." He muttered.

"Oh, and I hope they never do."

The two friends smiled at each other before galloping out of the courtyard and into the forest.


End file.
